This year I volunteered for Crisis at Christmas with the intention to teach yoga and meditation, but I ended up playing more football. When the activity leader asked me to play footie I laughed and said I would be happy to be a cheerleader... but he wouldn't take no for an answer. "The thing is," I heard myself saying, "I seriously have never played football before." He just smiled and said, "It will be fun. Remember, it's not for us, it's about them." So, I went to my car and dug out my hiking shoes and joined my first ever 5-a-side game. I was the only woman playing and there were some rather volatile characters on the pitch. But my presence seemed to have a calming influence on the guys and I actually surprised myself. Turns out that I'm quite the tackler and striker. And I will never forget how it felt to score my first goal. The support I felt from the guys was amazing. I had stepped out of my comfort zone and the result was unforgettable. It reminded me of what Eleanor Roosevelt apparently once said,
What I realised was that for some of these guests at Crisis, yoga was really scary. All of them were rough sleepers, so their level of trust and ability to relax was very limited. By stepping out of my comfort zone, I earned their trust and respect and they gave my class a chance. Some of them couldn't even close their eyes at first. So just making them feel safe and warm for twenty minutes felt like a big breakthrough. I ended up volunteering for one more day so that I could join them for the Crisis Football tournament, hosted at Arsenal. We won the runner up plate. Another incredible moment. So you could say that I'm starting 2018 inspired and ready to do one thing every day that scares me.
What are your new years intentions?